Philipp Lahm and the Most Complete Footballers in the World Right Now
Some people have it all, and in a footballing sense, those people are very good to have around.
The complete player is able to play pretty much anywhere on the pitch, is strong with both feet, can tackle, head, shoot, inspire those around him and be worth millions to his side.
The German World Cup-winning captain Philipp Lahm is now in his 30s and unlikely to move from the club he's represented professionally since 2002, but there are plenty of sides around the world who would have been willing to pay big money for the full-back/defensive midfielder and all-around inspiration.
With Lahm now retired from Germany duty, though, who are the top complete players still playing at international level?
Here are just a few.
Cristiano Ronaldo
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It is difficult to think of a type of goal that Cristiano Ronaldo hasn't scored, and the Portuguese accumulates vast numbers of them.
The Ballon d'Or winner can shoot with both feet and has a terrific leap, allowing him to score his fair share of towering headers, all of which makes him the prototype for the modern footballer—more so than his great rival Lionel Messi, who often relies on the same movements when going about his magical business.
Ronaldo is a phenomenal athlete, and it is his frame and that build that often leave him standing out when compared to others. He frequently looks leagues ahead.
Manuel Neuer
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Part-goalkeeper, part-sweeper, World Cup-winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer doesn't let the constraints of his position affect his ability to influence football matches, and he can often be seen way out of his goal in a bid to help his team.
With a touch that many midfielders would be envious of, Neuer joins in with the match going on in front of him, something that we memorably saw during Germany's excellent summer in Brazil as their young team became world champions.
He's good at conventional goalkeeping too, and he has firmly established himself as one of the first names discussed when ranking the best No. 1s around at the moment.
"Manuel Neuer, never change. [Vine via @BL_Latest] http://t.co/mwcKcVRHOS http://t.co/5PoyOJZ3qy
— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) November 9, 2014"
Toni Kroos
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Another World Cup winner and one who earned a move to Real Madrid off the back of his wonderful performances in Brazil, Toni Kroos has very quickly become one of the best midfielders in the world game.
His partnership with Luka Modric at new club Real Madrid has blossomed extremely quickly, with the 24-year-old's shooting ability and willingness to use both feet marking him out as a special talent.
Destined to be a fixture in the Real and Germany midfield for years to come, there really isn't much that he can't do.
"Toni Kroos’ 1st goal for Real Madrid was understatedly brilliant. http://t.co/XcWie2C7nW [Vine via @TheAgent0fChaos] http://t.co/FKlzuMIEm4
— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) November 9, 2014"
Paul Pogba
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Still only 21 years old, the Juventus and France midfielder Paul Pogba continues to develop at an alarming rate, which made previous club Manchester United's decision to restrict his first-team opportunities seem all the more bizarre.
A strong and powerful presence in the centre of midfield, Pogba's ability to break up play and surge forward to score goals make him an extremely powerful weapon for the Serie A champions, who he has shone for since joining from United in 2012.
Pogba impressed in a France side that reached the quarter-finals at the World Cup in the summer, and with his nation hosting the Euro 2016 finals in less than two years' time, his star looks set to continue to rise.
Yaya Toure
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He may have struggled for form at the beginning of this season, but the only reason that criticism of Yaya Toure has been so rife is because we all know what he can do.
On his day, there are few better midfielders in world football, and we know that because "his day" was seen more often than not during the weeks and months of the last Premier League season, during which he scored 20 goals and helped take Manchester City to the title.
The Ivorian's driving runs from midfield are a terrific sight to see, and there have been a couple of signs that he might be getting back to his best in recent weeks.
Luis Suarez
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More so than his new Barcelona team-mates Lionel Messi and Neymar, Luis Suarez possesses a diverse ability that marks him out as one of the modern game's complete forwards.
His 31 Premier League goals last season very nearly dragged Liverpool to an unlikely title, and since his move to La Liga and seeing out his most recent ban, he's assisted all three of the league goals that his side have scored in the three games he's played.
With Suarez, the word "complete" is often followed by a word such at "lunatic," but he's easily in the top bracket of world footballers and deserves to be recognised as such.
Robert Lewandowski
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He goes about it in a different way to Suarez, but Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski also deserves to be mentioned among the top bracket of forwards in the world.
The 26-year-old earned his move to Bayern after a prolific spell at Borussia Dortmund, who he helped to the 2013 Champions League final—a game in which they faced his current employers.
He's well respected in Germany and recently shone in Poland's shock 2-0 Euro 2016 qualifying win over the world champions, a match in which he provided an assist for his nation's second goal, just as he recently did for Mario Gotze in the Champions League.
"GOAL! Mario Gotze. Assist Lewandowski. Bayern-Roma 2-0 #bayern #goetze https://t.co/YccbaB5EHv (@sporonlinecom)
— FC Bayern Vine (@FCBayernVine) November 5, 2014"
Philipp Lahm
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Back to our cover star, though, and there really have been very few players like Philipp Lahm playing in world football over the last decade.
It is often difficult to spot if the 30-year-old has put a foot wrong, and although he started Germany's World Cup campaign in defensive midfield, it was his relocation to full-back that really helped his side kick on and impress.
He was comfortable in either position, of course, and as one of the faces of German football since the turn of the century, there are few players more deserving of lifting the World Cup trophy as captain.
"VINE: Philipp Lahm's last act as an international footballer. Not bad. http://t.co/MiHNPJL93p
— LiveFootball (@livefootball) July 18, 2014"
